Roman's Reign, Vampire King
by Bargain Brand Writer
Summary: A supernatural spin-off from OPERATION: BLACK CERBERUS. 30 years after losing everything, Roman reunites with Paige to use his vampiric abilities for good and hunt down the creatures that terrorize the innocent. Along the way, they'll uncover the mystery behind these creatures. Fighting and aligning with others who know about this dark side of the world.
1. Chapter 1

Roman's Reign

Vampire King

Chapter 1

"She's pretty hot huh? Dude are you listening?"

Dean slaps Roman on the back. Both men hanging out at a local bar near WWE headquarters. After a slow day, they decided to hang out for a bit. Roman turns his head to face Dean, but says nothing.

"You know, I thought I was weird, but you take the cake." Says Dean taking a seat next to Roman at the bar.

"I'm weird because I keep to myself?" Roman asks.

"No. It's because you don't talk about yourself, your family, or anything. I mean, I'm an asshole, but I'll gladly tell you that. You however...who the hell are you?" Dean says puzzled.

Looking straight faced. "I'm Roman Reigns."

"That's the shit I'm talking about. You're a smart ass when you want to be, and that's the most we get out of you. I've never spent so much time thinking about another man, but you get to me sometimes." Dean conveys.

Roman lets out a laugh, prompting Dean to shake his head. Paige makes her way over from the bathroom and takes a seat with the boys. She asks the bartender for a shot and buries her face in her hand, letting out a small sigh. Roman and Dean pay her no mind and continue drinking. She lets out a bigger sigh, clearly asking for attention. Dean gets up and flicks Paige on the ear before walking off. She gives a dirty look before moving over a seat next to Roman.

"Problem there sweetheart?" Roman asks.

"Men are assholes." Paige says while scrolling through her phone.

"I'm sorry." Roman replies.

The bartender brings her shot, which she downs quickly and demands another.

"So this guy I met up with earlier had the nerve to say he didn't like my accent. Then told me I have no ass! Can you believe that? I've got more ass than a donkey!"

Dean returns to say goodnight. He gives Roman a handshake and says he'll catch him later. Paige holds out her arms, signaling for a hug. Dean stares at her blankly and walks off.

"Why do people hate me?" Paige cries out, knocking down her second shot.

Roman puts his arm around her, pulling her close. She rests her head on his shoulder as he rubs her arm in comfort.

"It's all right, I like you."

They spend another hour in the bar, having a heart to heart. Paige knocks back shots while Roman holds the same beer. Paige tells him about her distant family, meeting Regal who treats her like his daughter, and her fish. Roman opens up about his life experiences. Battling sadness when he couldn't find work, and his wife Tasha, keeping him strong through it. Also, his daughter Amelia being his motivation. After last call, they call it a night. Roman carries a drunk Paige on his back, to his car and takes her home. Pulling up to her house, Roman notices she nodded off.

"Hey, we're here." He says giving her a small shake.

"Huh...uh, what? Oh."

She opens the car door and looks at the path to her front door.

"Carry me please?"

Roman picks her up and heads to the front door. She sings quietly on the way. Roman sets her on her feet and unlocks the door. Paige hugs him.

"You're a great guy Roman. I wish you were mine." She confesses with her face buried in his chest.

"Uhhh, thanks." Roman utters, scratching the back oh his head.

She lets him go and pecks him on the lips before heading inside. Roman stands there for minute, thinking about what just happened. He heads back home with Paige's actions glued to his brain.

It takes Roman a decent sized flight to get home. Connecticut to Florida wasnt far, but it was far enough for a loving father. All the time at work makes him homesick. As he hails a cab back from the airport, a text pops up from Paige.

 **Paige: I'm Sorry *crying emoji***

 **Roman: Don't worry about it**

 **Paige: You sure?**

 **Roman: All good *smiling emoji with glasses***

 **Paige: *smiling, blushing emoji***

Making it home in the afternoon, he gets out the cab to see Amelia running full speed towards him. He picks her up and swings her around.

"Daddy you're home!" Amelia squeals in excitement.

"Yup, and I'm here for a week!"

He carries her inside to find Tasha in the kitchen. Tasha was a Pakistani immigrant he met doing volunteer work. After working together for months at a local children's center, they dated a year before tying the knot. 8 years later and the love was still strong. Their 7 year-old Amelia was proof of that.

"Hey baby, glad to see you made it back." Tasha kisses her husband and welcomes him home.

"You say that every time." Roman says while hugging her.

"Because I mean it."

Amelia tugs on her dads arm.

"I can't wait for you to see my art project, and my new bed sheets, and my dolls, and my-"

"Calm down, I'll have plenty of time to look at that. Lets just spend some time together. I miss you guys."

The sun sets as the Reigns family make up for lost time. Ending the night watching movies. Amelia asleep in his arms while his wife gives him small talk.

"How long are you gonna keep this job?" Tasha asks.

"As long as I keep making money, I'll be there." He yawns back.

"Yeah, but it hurts having you away for so long. Dreading the day I get that phone call. Or men show up at my door with a folded up flag. I don't want that, and Amelia doesn't deserve it."

"Listen I got good men watching my back, and we work with professionals. But if a nice payday comes around, I'll look for work closer to home, okay?"

"Okay."

Roman carries Amelia to bed. He tucks her in and kisses her forehead. All of the hardships he went through was worth it for his princess. He heads back downstairs, thinking about telling Tasha what Paige did. They promised not to keep secrets, but was this a burden he wanted to carry? Not tonight, it was a good night. As Tasha is in the kitchen washing dishes, Roman wraps his arms around her and begins kissing her neck.

"We need to make up for lost time too."

A knock at the door keeps them from going forward. Roman looks at the clock on the stove.

"Who the hell is at my door past midnight?" He wonders moving to the door.

He opens the door to find a sultry looking woman. Her face visible, but a little hidden the nights darkness.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. I'm looking for Tasha and Amelia." The woman replies.

"Why?" Reigns face turned sour, questioning her motives.

"We've been wanting to ask her to join our club." She replies.

"You need to leave." Roman demands before closing the door.

"Who was that?" Tasha asks when Roman comes back to the kitchen.

Before answering, another knock hits the door. With Tasha looking on, Roman stomps back angrily and swings open the door.

"You need to leave before I-"

A fist hits Roman in the chest, sending him flying through the air and into the wall. The force puts a hole in the wall and Roman hits the floor face first. Tasha screams, causing a blur to speed towards her. The blur stops and shoves a hand across Tasha's mouth, shutting her up. It was a white man, standing 6'7. Wearing a sleeveless red gown. Slick back hair and a trimmed beard.

"Shhhh." As he makes direct eye contact with Tasha.

She looks into his blood red eyes, losing all of her thoughts and free will. She slowly goes from struggling to completely limp. Roman catches his breath, feeling a broken rib. He darts up, charging towards the man. The woman steps in and clotheslines Roman, causing him to flip upside down. She stomps her foot into his back. Her heels piercing through his skin, drawing blood. Amelia lets out a scream from the stairs, getting the intruders attention.

"RUN!" Roman screams in pain.

The man speeds over to Amelia, and hypnotizes her in seconds.

"I"M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" Roman yells.

The man walks over and kicks Roman in the face with his boot. Roman feels a slight crack in his neck and feels blood coming from his nose. The man kneels down next to Roman.

"You're not home enough to value these women. You're too busy having adventures with your buddies."

Roman grabs the mans coat, weakly tugging on it. The man smiles and swats Roman's hand away.

"Ariel, finish off this clown. I'm going to tend to my new mistresses."

The man commands Tasha and Amelia to follow him. They both follow him out the door, zombie-like. Roman cries, reaching out to his loved ones. After they leave, Ariel flips Roman onto his back and he gets a good look at her. She looked to be of Latin descent. Her black hair tied in pigtails. Wearing a leather dress. Roman struggled to sit up, but she immediately stomps on his chest, knocking the last bit of strength out of him. Ariel gets down and lays on top of him, rubbing her face against his.

"Don't be sad, it could be so much worse. Kevin could of ripped your throat out, but he left me to you." She says wiping tears from his eyes.

The name hit Roman's head like a weight. Kevin. He wouldn't forget it. She licks a bit of blood from his nose, wetting her appetite.

"Such a beast. A shame to let you go to waste. Screw what Kevin says."

Roman lays there, waiting for his death. She turns his head, and bites deeply into his neck. Roman only winces, being unable to scream from lack of breath. His body going numb with consciousness fading. His vision starts to blur, and he closes his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Roman's Reign

Vampire King

Chapter 2

Seth Rollins sits outside an auto parts store in his car, waiting for his partners. He and Dean came down to Florida after getting a distressed call from Roman the day before, asking for their help immediately. The sun had set a couple of hours ago and the streets were clearing. Dean smacks the window, scaring Seth.

"You're a dick."

"Very proud to be one. You seen Roman?" Dean asks.

"Not yet. I hope he's alright. Dude sounded a mess over the phone. I almost didn't answer because it was from unknown number."

"Guys...guys, over here."

They look over to see Roman flagging them from behind the store. Heading over, a faint smell of blood hits their nose. Getting stronger as they move forward. Roman is standing in the shadows near a dumpster. A red glow visible in his presence.

"Dude, what is going on?" Asks Seth approaching Roman.

"Stay back!" Roman commands.

Dean looks down, noticing a trail of blood coming from Roman's area. He points it out to Seth, and they both look at Roman more worried.

"Roman...what did you do?"

Roman takes a small step forward, making himself visible. A dirty hoodie over his head with fresh blood on the front. His red eyes staring down his best friends.

"I can explain."

(earlier)

"Hello, anyone here?"

The voice wakes up Roman from a comatose state on the kitchen floor. He sits up feeling a little dizzy. He looks around seeing the destruction of his home. Trying to gather his thoughts, a police officer walks in the kitchen with his gun drawn.

"Who are you and what happened here?" The officer asks.

Roman slowly gets to his feet with his hands up. His vision a little distorted, seeing everything around him move slower.

"Stay where you are!" The officer demands.

"Listen, I need your help. These people came in and took my wife and daughter. Please."

"Put your hands behind your back!"

"I said I need your help!" Roman shouts.

"Sir, hands behind your back!"

"JUST LISTEN TO ME!"

"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!"

Roman's frustrations take over and rushes forward. The officer fires off a shot. Roman dodges the bullet with ease, and runs with the speed of his earlier attacker. Aggression taking over, he snaps the officer's neck, bringing his vision back to normal. Roman looks at his hands in shock over his actions. A voice comes over the officer's radio.

"Officer Miles, is everything under control at your location? Officer Miles please respond. Officer we'll be sending backup shortly."

Roman didn't know what to do, but staying wasn't an option. He runs upstairs and into the bedroom closet. He digs through a locked chest, pulling out gear from work. He grabs a pistol and goes for his work phone off the dresser. Catching a look in the mirror, he falls back in shock of what he sees. Nothing. He licks his teeth to feel two sharp ones that weren't there before.

"RRRRAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

He heads back downstairs, taking one last look at the cop he killed in cold blood. More would be on the way, and now he was a murderer. A sudden sharp pain hits him in the back. He fights the pain and grabs the officers keys. Also grabbing a hoodie before running out the front door.

"So you killed a cop and became a vampire?! What the fuck are you smoking!" Dean shouts.

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but you gotta believe me."

"Damn right it sounds ridiculous. You hear this shit Seth?"

Seth stands there with his arms folded, not knowing what to think.

"Regardless of what I just told you, I need your help. These people took my wife and daughter, and I can't do it alone." Pleads Roman.

"Are you for real? Fuck that!"

"What?"

"If you are some freak now, I don't wanna be around you. How long before you attack us? Who's blood is on the ground?"

"I wouldn't do that to you guys, I swear. And the blood was just some homeless man." Roman says while turning his head away.

"Just a homeless man! Seth, am I going crazy? Talk to me man."

Seth still stands quietly, his eyes telling the story of many emotions. Dean pulls out a knife and makes a small cut on his wrist. Pressing on it to draw blood. He walks over to Roman with his arm out.

"How long before you turn on us huh? You gonna protect us? Who says you're not setting us up? ANSWER ME!"

Roman's senses flare up. Even though he just drank blood, he felt like going again. He tries to hold back, turning his head. As Dean gets closer, Roman takes a small jump, attempting to bite his friend. Missing the mark, Roman retreats back to the dumpster.

"See, I knew it. Now way in hell I'm staying with you." Says Dean.

"That's not fair man. I didn't want to do that. You baited me."

"Don't matter. I'm sorry about your family, but this is weird, even for me. You're on your own."

Dean walks off while Seth stands there, still silent as a mute person.

"Seth, please man." Roman begs.

Seth turns around and slowly walks away.

"SETH!"

Seth stops for a second, but heads back to his car. Roman falls back against the wall, tears rolling down his cheeks. Abandoned by the men he called brothers, his family at someone else's mercy, and no way to find Kevin, Roman was a mess. He does have one final option. A desperate option. He collects his emotions and heads out, while two figures watch from the distance.

Later on, Dean walks through a hotel, chilling out before his flight back home tomorrow. He decides to head to the bar. A text from Seth pops up on the way there.

 **Seth: Think he's gonna be ok?**

 **Dean: I hope so, but not my problem**

 **Seth: That's cold bro. I'm still not sure what's going on, but we shouldn't have left him**

Dean turns off his phone to focus on his own problems. Walking into the bar, he sees a lovely woman sitting by herself. He takes a seat next to her, calling for a beer.

"How you doing babe. Here all by yourself?"

"Yeah, just little ole me. I'm visiting Florida and I wanted to look around." She replied.

"Well I've been down here a few times to visit a buddy of mine. He aint doing so well right now. But I know a couple hot spots in the area. Maybe I can show you around."

"Umm, I don't know, I hear a lot of crazy things happen in Florida. Although, you're pretty cute. I guess we can take a walk. Got a name?"

"Dean Ambrose."

"Nice to meet you Dean, I'm Ariel."

Seth sits on bleachers in a park, eating a burger. Looking at the night sky, attempting to ease his mind, spinning with thoughts non stop from what he saw a couple hours earlier. A large ache in his heart, wondering if he did the right thing. He finishes off the rest of his burger and heads back to his car. Two people are standing next to it, looking through the window.

"Hey, what you guys doing next to my car?"

The two turn around to face Rollins. Both wearing casual clothes, looking like any person you'd see on the street, but they were different. Their eyes carrying the same glow Roman had. Pulling a sinister smile and showing their teeth. Seth slowly backs up as the men approach him.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Zack Ryder, and this is my buddy Curt Hawkins. Nice to meet you."

Seth pulls out a knife from his belt and goes for the attack. Ryder runs in, going for a leg sweep. Seth jumps, avoiding it. Only to get kicked out of the air by Hawkins. Seth gets up and makes a break for his car. Ryder's speed allows him to get there first. Seth rolls over the hood and hops in through the passenger side. He locks all the doors and leans down to grab his pistol from under his seat. Sitting back up, Ryder and Hawkins are gone. A eerie silence creeps up, as Seth looks around. Hawkins pops up to the passenger side and punches through the car window. Seth gets a piece of glass in his eye, so he starts to shoot blind. Hawkins takes two bullets to his chest knocking him back. Seth composes himself and tries to remove the glass. Ryder comes in from the other side, punching out the drivers window. Seth gets more glass in the face. Blinded, Ryder grabs him by the back of the head and slams it against the dashboard, knocking him unconscious.

The sun begins to rise over the state of Connecticut. Birds tweeting and cars starting. Paige lays asleep, sprawled out across her bed with a wine bottle in her hand. She often talks in her sleep.

"No Mr. Helmsley the files aren't ready yet...I said you can call me Paige...no I don't wanna go to Saudi Arabia."

An alarm goes off, waking her up. She fumbles around, looking for her phone. The alarm is killing her head, as she flips around pillows and sheets looking for it. Her phone flies up and smacks her against the head.

"Owww, the hell."

She cuts off the alarm and rubs her head. She stretches before heading to the bathroom.

"Good morning Roman." She says entering the bathroom.

She pauses, and looks over to see Roman sitting on the toilet. She lets out a horror movie esqe scream.

"Paige, hold on I just need to talk to you."

Paige realizes she's in her underwear and runs back to bed, diving under the sheets. Roman exits the bathroom calmly. Paige pokes out her head, seeing Roman's bloody hoodie.

"I DON"T KNOW WHAT I DID BUT I'M SORRY. DON'T HURT ME!" She cries out.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, I need your help."

Roman sat down on the floor Indian style, hands behind his back. Still shaking, Paige peeks out again, seeing her co-worker sat down. She pops out her head again, looking a little calmer.

"So, what's going on?" She asks.

"I can explain."

(earlier)

Roman drives through his hometown of Tampa Bay in a deep haze. He just killed a cop and stole a car. His entire body being changed into a freak of nature. He pulls out his phone to call Seth, but only gets the machine. Might as well leave a message.

"Seth, this Roman. Some crazy shit went down at my house man. I need you to get down here ASAP. Seriously, you wont believe me unless you see it for yourself."

He hangs up and calls Dean. The phone lingers for a minute, but Dean eventually picks up.

"Hello?"

"Dean, its me Roman."

"Yo Roman, what's up man."

"Listen carefully, I need your help down here. These people just attacked my house and took my wife and daughter."

"Wait, what? Did you call the police?"

"Its not that simple. I need you guys for this. I left Seth a message, but I need both of you down here by tomorrow night."

"Alright man. We'll be there."

Roman hangs up and drives on. The sun was rising soon, and if Roman was what he thought he was, he needed shelter quickly. He ditches the cop car in an alley near a closed bakery. He breaks down the back door, noticing his strength increased. Wandering to the front, he leans against the counter top, looking at a past memory. He and Tasha came here to get Amelia's first birthday cake.

 _"Okay baby blow out the candles."_

 _"Yay, happy birthday Amelia."_

 _"I love you Tasha."_

The sun rises, glaring through the window. It burns Roman's face, causing him to retreat. The pain in his back returns, and his stomach feels like its in a knot. Feeling dizzy, he stumbles around the kitchen. All the pain sends him face first into the floor, passing out.

"Romaaaann. Rooomaaan."

A soothing voice calling his name wakes him up. He gets to his feet and checks his phone. A dozen missed calls from Seth and Dean fill the screen. They were in the state and on their way. Outside it was nightfall once again. Seeing it was safe to move, he heads back to the cop car. Heading to the alley, cops surround the area.

"Shit."

He throws his hoodie over his head and moves on. He send texts to Seth and Dean, saying to meet him at the auto parts store in his hometown. He moves carefully, avoiding getting close to anybody. He starts to feel dizzy, kneeling over, trying to stay on his feet. Pressing on, he inadvertently knocks over a homeless mans change cup and keeps walking. The few dollars he had in there get blown away by the wind.

"Hey man, what the hell?" Asks the homeless man.

Roman ignores him and keeps walking trying to get his head straight. The homeless man gets up and follows Roman, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hey man, you owe me a few dollars."

"Leave me alone." Barks Roman.

The homeless man shoves Roman in the back. Roman spins around and jumps on the homeless man, pinning him to the ground. Roman bites into his neck with no mercy. The homeless man screams, forcing Roman to cover his mouth. The taste of blood feeling like an adrenaline shot to the heart. His mind clears, his strength returns, and he feels amazing. Roman sits up soaking in the moment. The feeling of euphoria oozing through his body. Reality hits him and he looks around for witnesses, but no one seems to be around. He picks up the homeless man on his shoulders and heads for the auto parts store.

"One more time, just to be sure." Paige asks.

"Okay, one more time, cause it freaking hurts." Roman replies.

They walk over to her bedroom window and he sticks his hand out the window. The sun burns his hand like grease to a frying pan. Roman pulls his hand back quickly.

"I can't believe, you're a vampire." Utters Paige in astonishment.

"Neither can I. That's why I need your help."

"I don't know. What could I do that Seth and Dean couldn't? I'd also be lieing if I didn't share their same concerns."

"This is a very strange situation. You're my last option. Go to WWE and see it you can get some weapons to help me fight this guy. I'm all alone and need someone to back me up."

Paige now fully dressed for work, stands there fiddling her thumbs. Roman grabs her hand and looks her in the eyes.

"Please."

"O-Okay. I'll help you. I'll talk to Christian in tech and see if I can scrape up something." Said Paige.

"Thank you. I promise I won't bite you." Roman tells her.

"Of course. I gotta go to work. You stay here and try to relax. When I get back, we can think of a plan."

Roman hugs her with tears coming down his face once again. She hugs him back. Both with an unsure feeling of what's to come in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

Roman's Reigns

Vampire King

Chapter 3

"Roooomaaaan...Roooomaaaaan..."

Roman opens his eyes, looking around. The soft voice called to him again, and he knew who it was. He hears running water and looks to see Paige in the bathroom tying up her hair. He gets off the floor, stretching his neck and trying to knock that returning pain from his back.

"Good, you're finally up." Says Paige coming out the bathroom.

Roman turned to the window to see the sun had set once again. He started feeling too familiar with the moon, missing the warmth of the sun. Paige looks dressed to fight, wearing all black boots, cargo pants and long sleeve thermal top.

"You feeling any better?" She asks looking worried.

"Physically, yes. Mentally, no."

"Well, you're not going to like this. The incident at your house is on the news. All they know is that your home is trashed, a cop is dead, and the Reigns family is missing without explanation."

Roman sits on the bed, head down and hands folded. Thinking about what to do.

What kind of explanation could he possibly give to anyone else other than his friends.

"By the way, have you heard from Dean or Seth?" Asks Paige.

"Not since the other day."

"Strange, Hunter said he hasn't heard from them since then. No one has been able to get in contact with them, including me."

"They were in my hometown, so its possible they could of..."

"Been attacked." Finishes Paige.

"Yeah, because of me." Roman whispers, head hanging lower than before.

"Cheer up, I'm sure they're fine. We should get moving. I managed to get a few sick days from work, and I got you some clean clothes. Get dressed and meet me outside."

She gives him an outfit matching hers, but in men's size. After changing, he heads downstairs. He starts to feel dizzy again from lack of human food. He leans against the wall and slowly makes his way down the steps. With distorted vision, Roman darts to the sink, splashing cold water on his face. This hunger needs to hold off for a while, or Paige was in danger. She's putting her life on the line for him, so he needed to fight the hunger for as long as possible. He musters up his strength and heads outside. Paige is looking through a bag in the back of her car.

"Alright, what do you got?" Asks Roman approaching her.

"We got some good stuff. I got some flashbangs, some metal steaks, and I got me a desert eagle with incendiary bullets. Load up."

"A desert eagle? You're gonna blow your arm off!"

"I'll be fine. You forget that I'm trained even though I work at a desk. Lets go. We need to hurry before the sun rises."

They get into the car and make their way back to Florida. If they drive through the night, they can make it there before dawn.

Roman is at the wheel, while Paige gets some sleep.

"Rooomaaaan"

The voice in his head comes back again. He wonders if he can talk back by thinking hard enough.

"Ariel, is this you? I'm here and listening." He thinks in his head.

"Good. We needed to talk." She replied.

Ariel sat in a chair. Dressed down in a silk robe inside of her bedroom.

"I need your help against Kevin." She asks.

"Help you? You turned me into this monster! I've done things I shouldn't have because of you."

"I saved your life. I could of killed you just like anyone else. But i think you have what it takes to kill my master."

"Master? I thought he was your lover?"

"No, I'm just a slave he controls like everyone else. I want him gone, and you want your family back. Maybe we can come to a compromise?" She offers.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Are there any other options?"

Roman looks over at Paige, still asleep. He's reminded once again that this desk jockey was his last line of defense.

"Okay, lemme hear it."

Roman parks the car behind the old bakery he took shelter in the day he was turned. He looks around for anyone watching before waking up Paige. She jumps up, waving around her gun.

"Whoa, hold up!" Roman shouts grabbing the gun.

"Oh, my bad. Where are we?" She asks rubbing her eyes.

"A little hideout where we can stay until nighttime comes again."

Paige grabs her glasses from the glove box and both head inside to get settled in, killing time by just talking about their childhoods. Roman practices trying to use the super speed, but to no success. Roman checks his pistol, only carrying normal bullets to Paige's fire laced ones. Paige practices maintaining the weight of a Desert Eagle, as Ariel walks in from the back, wearing a hooded gown to protect her from sunlight.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Yells Paige aiming her gun.

"Its cool, she's with me." Says Roman walking over.

"What! She's the who turned you!"

"I know, but she's here for a reason. She wants to help."

"Indeed. I know where to find Kevin, his men, and your family amongst his other hostages." Says Ariel.

"There's more?" Asks Paige.

"Yes. Don't worry, they're human. Kevin likes to keep them that way for various reasons. Being able to send them out on errands during the day. He also said he prefers warm bodies."

"And my family?" Asks Roman.

"Fine, but I shouldn't say what he does to those women."

Roman punches a hole in the wall upon hearing that statement. He composes himself and gets back to the conversation.

"Tell me where the bastard's hiding!" Roman demands.

"You'll find him and everyone else at the Strawberry Mansion on the east coast. We had the owner hypnotized to give us the place without suspicion. His crew runs about six deep. They're all pretty weak, so it should be easy pickings on them."

"You get all that?" Roman asks Paige.

"Got it."

"Before I go, you should know that he has your friends." Said Ariel.

"What!"

Ariel takes out a cell phone and flicks through it. Handing it to Roman after finding what she wanted. Roman and Paige take a look to see Dean Ambrose's severed head on a glass plate. Paige runs off to a corner and pukes in horror and shock at her friends mutilation.

"FUCK!" Yells Roman, banging on the old countertop.

"Your other friend is still alive, but not for long. Get there fast enough and maybe he can be saved. I have to go. Good luck."

Ariel walks off, leaving Roman and Paige to brood for the rest of the day. Roman sits at the window, staring off into the night. Paige packs up and heads to the back.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah"

Strawberry Mansion was a few miles out from Tampa Bay. Roman once again takes the wheel. His head is spinning with Paige so close to him. His nose turning at fresh blood right in his grasp. Just need to hold off for a little while longer.

"Roman, I should tell you something. Just in case I happen to die here."

"I'm not going to let you die, but what is it?"

"About the kiss."

Roman brings the car to a halt, as they reached their destination. The mansion resided at the end of a long path, blocked off by a gate.

"What about it?" He says making eye contact.

Paige opens her mouth to speak, but closes her mouth and looks away.

"You meant to do it."

"Uhh, yeah. It was wrong and it's been bothering me for a while now. Figured this was a better time than now to admit it." She confesses.

"Look, I told you not to worry about. At this point, its the least of our problems. But I appreciate the honesty."

"Thanks." She says giving him a hug.

They exit the car and load up on weapons. Roman breaks down the plan while making their way to the front of the mansion. Paige with her gun drawn and Roman wielding his pistol and metal steak.

"I need you stay behind me. I'll take down anyone coming our way. Any survivors, blow their heads off. Got it? Paige?"

Roman turns around and Paige is staring at something. Roman looks over to see a male vampire in a black robe standing near some trees.

"Paige, get behind me."

Paige stands still shaking in fear. Holding up her gun, but no sense to fire.

"PAIGE!"

The enemy vampire jumps high into the air, coming down to attack Paige. Roman pushes her out the way, and shoots his gun. He hits the vampire three times, dropping him to the ground. Paige looks on from the ground petrified. Roman comes over to help her up.

"You alright?" He asks extending his hand.

"BEHIND YOU!"

The vampire jumps on Roman's back, grabbing his face. Roman flails around as the vampire bites into his shoulder. Roman screams out in pain, reaching behind him, grabbing his attackers head and tossing him off. Paige fires off an incendiary shot, hitting the vampire in the back. It burns a hole through its chest, killing it. She runs over to Roman who's on his knees.

"Oh my god. Are you okay?" Paige asks checking his shoulder.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? If you're gonna stall like that then get out of here."

"I'm sorry. This is just really scary. I wont let you down, I promise."

One down, six to go. Roman tosses his gun, seeing it's useless against monsters like this. They carry on the path as Roman gets another telepathic phone call.

"You best take the cellar entrance on the left side of the mansion. From there you should be able to find the hostages." Says Ariel.

"Paige, this way. We're going through the cellar."

"How do you know that?"

"Trust me on this."

They find the cellar door, just like Ariel had said. Roman opens the door while Paige provides cover. Another male vampire is down there smoking as the door is opened. Paige fires, hitting him in the head.

"Nice shot. They probably know we're here from all the noise, so we need to hurry." Said Roman heading in.

The cellar contained barrels of wine and cages full of hypnotized female victims. Paige and Roman see the women are dirty, barely fed, and not in control of their minds.

"This man is a monster." Utters Paige.

Roman looks around and sees Tasha sharing a cage with another hostage. He runs over looking relieved.

"Tasha! Tasha honey its me! Its Roman!"

Tasha stares at Roman blankly, still in her trance. Roman looks for Amelia, but she's nowhere in sight.

"Amelia! Amelia its daddy where are you!" He cries out.

"She's not here." Says Paige checking all of the cages.

"Then she's with HIM!" Roman growls.

"You go find her. I'll free the women."

"I can't leave you here by yourself!"

"I'll be fine. Just hurry and get Amelia so we can leave."

Roman gives her a nod and runs off. Heading upstairs and looking around a long hallway. He goes to the left, continuing his search. Paige tries to bust the locks off of the cages with a metal pole that was lying around. She didn't want to waste her bullets, so she needed something.

"Well, well. We have some visitors."

Paige's heart skips a beat, and she slowly turns around to see Curt Hawkins slowly making his way towards her. She fires off a few shots from her Desert Eagle, but Hawkins easily dodges them. He jumps over, grabbing Paige by her shirt and throwing her against a cage face first, knocking her glasses off.

"We don't like visitors, but I'm sure Kevin could find a place for you here." Said Hawkins preying on her.

Paige trembles as she gets to her hands and knees. A trickle of blood runs from the top of her head to the side of her face. Hawkins grabs her by the neck one handed, and lifts her in the air. Squeezing her neck, he brings her closer and licks the blood off her face. Paige pulls a steak from her back pocket and stabs Hawkins in the side of the head.

"Ahhh, you bitch!" He screams dropping her.

Paige pulls out another steak and repeatedly stabs Hawkins in the back until he falls to the floor. She continues to stab with all of her strength until Hawkins corpse is full of holes. She drops the steak, face covered in blood from the splatter. She uses her shirt to clean off her face and goes for her glasses. She decides to use the rest of her bullets to bust the locks, so no more time is wasted.

"Come on lets get out of here!" She tells the women.

All of them remain still, lost in their trance, as more footsteps linger in the distance.

"Oh no, now what?"

Roman makes his way towards a large door. He opens it to enter the dining room, where Kevin Thorne and the rest of his minions reside. Kevin sits at the head of the long table, bouncing Amelia on his lap. Roman charges forward, but Kevin holds a knife to Amelia's throat, forcing Roman to stop.

"Easy there Roman. Wouldn't want anything to happen to our precious girl."

"Let her go. She aint got nothing to do with this." Pleads Roman.

"Maybe I will. She's been a very good girl."

Roman's blood boils to an all time high but he remains still.

"Why don't you beg for her back?" Kevin demands.

Roman, seeing no other option, drops to his knees and starts to beg.

"Please, let her go. Please, I'll do whatever you want. Just leave her alone."

"Anything? Interesting. Amelia, why don't you go over there with uncle Ryder."

"Okay daddy." Says Amelia to Kevin, bringing tears to Roman's eyes.

Kevin calls out to a Lisa and Valerie. Two female vampires in dresses drag in Seth Rollins from another room. Dead and in his underwear. Beaten and bloody with pieces of his skin missing. Kevin stands and begins to pace.

"Okay Roman, I'm a fair man. I'll give you a choice. Feed off your friend, and your family is free to go. If you can't do it, then take your friend home to bury, and Amelia stays here with me."

Roman's face turns from sorrow to seething hate. Grinding his teeth and clenching his fists. He attacks Kevin with a steak, but is easily overpowered. Lack of feeding has left Roman incredibly weak. Kevin grabs both of Roman's arms, digging his nails into Roman's elbows and popping his joints. Roman screams out in pain before being turned upside down and slammed on his head.

"Pathetic! You thought you could beat me!" Taunts Kevin.

Kevin grabs one of Roman's legs, and swings him over like a sack of potatoes, slamming him into the ground. Roman's head bounces of the stone floor, cracking his skull.

"Gullible idiot. You aren't the first one Ariel has sent to kill me. I'll deal with her later, because she doesn't seem to learn."

Roman lays there, unable to move. His eyes open, looking at Seth. Roman had failed. His brothers are dead, his family is lost, and Paige is a goner without him. He did all he could, but it wasn't enough. Kevin goes to finish Roman as two flashbangs hit the floor. They explode, blinding everyone one in the room. In the confusion, Ariel swoops in, taking Roman away.

"Find all of them and kill them!" Yells Kevin holding his eyes.

Ariel brings a destroyed Roman back to the cellar where Paige waits with the hostages.

"Jesus Christ!" Says Paige in shock.

"I don't know if he'll make it.

"Can we do anything to save him?" Paige asks crying.

"Feed him."

Paige kneels down and picks up Roman in her arms. She rolls up her sleeve and puts it in Roman's face.

"Here, take my arm."

"No...I promised...I...wou...wouldn't bite you."

"Are you mad! You going to die! Please, I'm begging you!" She cries out.

Roman looks at Paige, dazed. With tears coming down her face, she smiles and nods her head, giving the okay. Roman bites down her arm, digging deep into her veins. Paige winces in pain but holds on. Roman's senses flare up once again. His arms heal, causing him to grab her arm and bite deeper. The blood filling his body like a cocaine laced adrenaline shot. Paige gets dizzy and faints, while Roman eyes turn completely bloodshot red.

"Do you see anything?" Lisa asks Valerie.

"No. Not even a blood trail." Valerie replies.

Both women walk through the hallway looking for Roman. Valerie checks inside of a room on the left side. Behind her, Lisa opens the door to the cellar. A hand springs out, grabbing Lisa by the neck, yanking her inside.

"Lisa?"

Zack Ryder walks with Amelia in hand through the kitchen. He checks a closet but finds nothing. A female scream from another part of the house startles Ryder.

"I'm gonna wreck that guy when I find him !"

Ryder turns around to see Amelia sitting on the counter.

"How'd you get up there?"

A large figure approaches Ryder from behind. Sensing this, Ryder turns around throwing a punch. His fist is caught by a hand with thin fingers and sharp claws. Ryder looks up, seeing a deep rep glow. The hand digs its claws into Ryder's wrists, then tearing his hand off.

"Ahhhh, fuck bro!" Screams Ryder holding his arm.

Ryder feels a weird pinch in his chest. He looks down to see an arm through his torso, holding his heart.

"Bro..."

Kevin makes his way into the main hall. No one has reported back yet, and he was starting to worry. Not a problem. He's killed many before, and Roman would be no different.

"COME ON ROMAN! I'M RIGHT HERE! STOP HIDING BEHIND A WOMAN AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!"

Roman drops from the ceiling, pinning Kevin down with a foot. Roman is now shirtless, sprouting large skin colored bat wings. His hands longer with claws for fingers. With bloodshot eyes and longer fangs to complete his transformation.

"YOU'RE GONNA NEED MORE THAN A MAKEOVER TO BEAT ME!" Kevin screams.

Roman with a dead pan stare, presses his foot harder into Kevin's chest, busting a lung. Kevin throws up blood, as Roman grabs his leg and drags him across the floor. The stone floor tears at Kevin's skin, cutting and tearing all over. Roman picks him up by the ankle and twists it like a soda cap, tearing off Kevin's foot. Kevin falls to the ground and starts to crawl away. Ariel steps on his hand, stopping him.

"YOU SORRY SACK OF BITCH!"

Roman picks him up, bringing them face to face.

"Your reign, is over."

Roman flies both of them through the air, busting through the ceiling and taking them high into the sky. Roman flips Kevin over and puts him into the piledriver position. Roman drops down full speed, crashing down into the mansion. The aftermath leaves a crater in the main hall. Roman sits up, and sees Kevin's head is completely smashed into his torso. Roman has returned to his normal appearance. The pain in his back finally gone. Paige walks in with the hostages and her arm wrapped up.

"Are we done?" She asks.

Roman gets up and dusts himself off, as Ariel makes her way over.

"Yeah, we're done." Roman tells her.

Paige walks over to Ariel, extending her hand.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you." Ariel says turning her back and walking off.

Roman turns his attention to Tasha and Amelia, still in their trance. He walks over and hugs them for a long time.

"Well, they're only gonna listen to a vampire." Paige informs him.

Roman looks among the victims. Emotionless faces, unknowing of the torture they've been through.

"Listen, all of you will return home to your families. In one hour I'll break the trance. You'll tell the police that you were apart of a trafficking ring that I and Paige managed to free you from. However, I died in the process. That's all you know, and nothing else. Follow Paige here and you'll get back safely." He announces.

He grabs Tasha and Amelia by the hand.

"You two, I love you both so much. Tasha...don't be afraid to move on. Its okay to love again. Just know that I'll always love you. Amelia, your daddy is so proud of you. Grow up and change the world. Both of you remember that even in death, I'll always be watching over you."

He walks over to Paige and hugs her tightly. She hugs him back, crying her eyes out.

"Paige, take care of yourself. Watch over my family.

"Of course. I'm gonna miss you Roman."

After embracing for the last time, Paige gathers the women to follow her. Roman watches everyone leave with a single tear rolling down his cheek. Paige makes it to the gate, turning around to see the mansion on fire, burning to the ground.

 _One month later..._

Paige walks through a cemetery in the evening. Wearing a black suit, she heads over to Dean and Seth's graves, placing flowers on both.

"Hey guys, checking in on you. Making sure the grass is cut. Keeping some fresh flowers on tap."

She takes off her glasses to wipe away tears.

"Work just isn't the same without you. You guys and Roman were like my older brothers. I wish it didn't have to end that way. Rest in peace guys."

A bat flies in and lands on Dean's tombstone. Paige looks around, but she's the only one there. The bat drops something from its mouth and flies off.

Paige picks up a rolled picture. She unrolls it to see a photo of her, Seth, Dean and Roman on their first day at work. She laughs and looks into the sky, knowing her vampire guardian is watching.


	4. Epilogue

Roman's Reign

Vampire King

Epilogue

A small bat flies through the city of Tampa Bay. The night sky sporting a half moon. The bat lands on the roof of a bank and soaks in the sounds. Some teens are smoking and skateboarding down the street. A couple of buses roll past. A small cry of help from a man catches the bats attention. The bat flies off. Heading down a couple of blocks, it lands on Roman Reigns shoulder, who's sitting on the edge of an apartment building. He sits looking bored, eating an apple.

"Hey Nina, what you got for me?" Roman says to his companion.

The bat screeches to Roman. Roman shakes his head, understanding what his friend is saying. The bat finishes screeching and flies towards the man in trouble. Roman smiles and drops off the building.

"HELP, SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!"

A college student runs down the street as three male thugs chase him. The student sees a car coming down the street. He stops and waves it down, screaming for help. The car keeps driving, almost running the student over. The thugs catch up and grab him, dragging him to a nearby park. They throw him down next to a swing set and beat him down.

"Guys, three on one? That's not fair."

The thugs turn around to see Roman sitting on the jungle gym. Roman dons jeans and black tank top, with sneakers. His beard has fully grown out and hair is tied back.

"You want a problem?" Says one thug pulling out a knife.

Roman laughs and walks toward them.

"Want a problem? I'm looking for one."

The thug with the knife runs up to Roman and stabs him in the stomach. Roman looks down, then back up unfazed, raising an eyebrow.

"What the fuck?" Utters the thug.

Roman grabs the thugs hand, squeezing it until the entire hand cracks and bleeds. The thug screams, grabbing his hand and falling down. Roman pulls the knife from his gut and flicks it in the air.

"Should we help Duke?" Asks one of the other thugs.

Roman starts walking forward and the other two thugs take off. Roman stops, looking over at the student. He sits shaking, glaring at his savior's red eyes.

"Get out of here." Roman tells him.

"Thank you." Says the student running off.

The other two thugs make it down the street. They hit the corner and stop to catch their breath near a bus stop.

"I think you guys lost him."

The thugs look over to see Roman leaning on a street pole, cleaning dirt from his fingernails

"Where you going?" He asks smiling at them.

Duke runs down the street, crying and holding his smashed hand. People staring as he runs around looking delirious. Duke runs into a parking lot and leans against a car. He closes his eyes, trying to block out the pain. A loud thud comes from nowhere. Duke looks up, as Roman is standing on the top of the car. His stab wound completely healed. Roman kneels down, showing his teeth glistening with the blood of Duke's friends. Duke falls to the ground, sliding back.

"Oh god no!" Duke screams.

Roman jumps off the car and picks up Duke by his shirt. Holding him high in the air, he brings Duke face to face.

"I'm not gonna kill you, I just ate. But I want you to live with this message. If I see any crime happening in my city, I'll be there to put an end to that shit. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?" Roman asks cupping his ear.

"Yes sir."

Roman tears a piece of Duke's shirt off and throws him to the ground. Roman wipes his mouth as he walks off into the night.

30 years have gone by since the night he was turned into what he was. That night where he killed Kevin Thorne was the last time he saw Paige. All through the day he slept or trained. All through the night he patrolled the streets, putting his vampiric abilities to good use. Sometimes against criminals, other times for personal use. How else would he get clean clothes and regular food.

Roman catches a couple coming out a liquor store with a bag. As the couple heads to their car, a large gust of wind hits them. The man looks around, then into his bag to see his wine gone. Roman sips on the bottle as he heads to a small home in a suburban neighborhood. He walks over to the side of the home, and peeks through the window, seeing a couple talking. He listens in on the conversation with his enhanced hearing.

"And then he told me I was doing a good job, but I could do better." Said the woman.

"Amelia, listen. You're one of the best filers they have. If you don't fell appreciated, take your talents somewhere else." The man replied.

"I've been trying. I haven't gotten any job offers back yet, so I guess I'm stuck doing tags and invoices for a while."

Amelia falls on the couch, looking at the ceiling. She rolls over, looking at her husband.

"I just figured I'd be doing more at 36 years old Tyler, you know ?"

"Well, you graduated college. Most people cant say that."

"Which has led to nothing but this stupid bank job. My dad was saving the world at 25 years old. I might not be here if it wasn't for him. He'd be so disappointed in me." She groans.

"I'm not, you're doing great." Roman whispers to himself.

"That's ridiculous to hold yourself to that standard." Said Tyler.

"Yeah but, I don't know. I'm just frustrated."

Roman checks in on her once a month to see how she's doing. Regardless of his curse, he promised to watch over her, wether he was physically there or not. Roman checks his watch, seeing midnight has come. Today was officially his and Tasha's anniversary. He finishes the wine and heads off to check on her as well. A few miles out from Amelia, Roman walks through a cemetery, heading to Tasha's grave. She died from a failed surgery to remove a tumor on her lung. As much as it hurt, there was nothing Roman could do.

As he gets closer to the grave, he can see someone standing near it. He braces his fist for a fight. Slowly approaching, he sees its a woman.

"I knew I'd find you here eventually."

The British accent hit Roman hard. He loosened up, hoping it was who he thought it was. Paige stands on a cane, wearing a nightgown and boots. Her hair a faded black with gray streaks running through. He thick glasses glaring from the moon. Roman walks up to her, mute from the shock. He touches her face, sliding his hand across, feeling the aged skin of his old friend.

"It's me Roman."

Roman hugs her tightly, almost breaking down. She hugs him back, fighting back tears herself. After their embrace, Roman takes a step back, getting a good look at her. After 30 years, seeing each other was a feeling of euphoria like no other.

"I can't believe it." Roman utters.

"You better believe it. How you been big guy?"

"Fine, for the most part. Been working alone all this time. Living on the streets. Keeping the streets safe. You know, the usual"

"Oh, sorry to hear that. At least you've embraced those powers. And you look great." Said Paige chuckling.

"Easy to look good when you don't age. Speaking of which."

"I'm 54 if your wondering. Go ahead, call me old."

"Nah, nah. You look good. I'd still hit it." He jokes.

"Thanks. Anyway, I needed to find you for a reason."

Roman sits on a tombstone and fold his arms.

"Okay. After that night you killed Kevin, my mind was never the same. I looked at everyone differently. Wondering what kind of monster they could be hiding on the inside. So, I did some research. Police reports and articles all over the U.S. talking about people being dismembered and eaten, amongst other things. I believe other monsters are at work out there."

Roman strokes his chin, taking in everything Paige just explained to him.

"You don't believe me do you?" She asks feeling unsure.

"I've been drinking and what you're saying sound ridiculous. But I'm also a vampire with a bat for a friend, so I can't say I don't believe you." He replied smirking.

"I'm serious. They might not know what's going on, but I know. I've seen it with my own eyes. Other vampires, voodoo, cults, and even demons."

"Demons?"

"Yeah, demons. That's why I came to find you. People are in danger out there, and no one realizes the real threat. Except us. You have the power to stop them."

Roman's bat Nina flies in, landing back on Roman's shoulder. She screeches in Roman's ear, telling him something.

"What's she saying?" Asks Paige.

"She says you're not lying. Nina has a pretty good sense for these things."

"So you believe the bat, but not me!"

Nina screeches, causing Roman to smile and tickle her.

"That's my baby, I always take her word. Back to what you were saying. If there are monsters and demons and shit, where do we start?" Asks Roman.

"When you get some free time, come to my place in Stamford. You can stay with me and we can get to work on the voodoo mess in Brooklyn."

"Alright, I'll be ready. If you'll excuse me, I'd like some alone time with my wife. It's our anniversary."

"Of course. See you soon Roman."

They give each other one last hug, with Roman kissing her cheek before she walks off. Roman kneels down in front of Tasha's grave to pray. Paige stops and turns around.

"Roman, I need to know something before I go."

"What?" Roman asks turning his head.

"Are you afraid of the Boogeyman?"


	5. New Blood

Roman's Reign

New Blood

A delivery truck driver pulls into a gas station by the highway. Inside, he grabs some snacks and goes to the counter. A calendar behind the cashier shows the date, October 1st, 2042.

"Hey Jimmy, on the road again?" Asked the cashier.

"You know that's all I do. These late night drives are killer, but this route makes me great money. Let me get 10 on pump five."

"Where you headed to tonight?"

"Stamford. Then off to a few other places."

"Cool. All set. See ya later Jim."

"Take care."

Jimmy goes to fill his truck. He throws his stuff in the front seat and hears a weird screech. He looks around, but he's the only one there. Jimmy shrugs it off and finishes pumping gas. On top of his truck lays Roman and Nina, his pet bat. Roman puts his finger to his lips, silently asking for Nina to be quiet. They were hitching a ride to Stamford to meet Paige. Jimmy hits the road, letting Roman get comfy. He gazed at the full moon wondering if there were any werewolves out there, especially if what Paige said was true. Then again, he hasn't been outside of Florida in years.

After another couple hours of driving, Roman sees signs of Stamford coming up. Roman steadies himself on the moving truck, getting ready for a jump. The truck turns towards the city and Roman leaps off to the ground below. He glides through the air with ease, tearing through the wind. He tucks and rolls onto a nearby rooftop. A hard landing, but nothing that hurt. After brushing off some dirt, he checks his watch. 3:27 AM. Time to hurry. Thankfully she left her new address with him. It's 4:06 by time he makes it there. A lot smaller than her last place in Riverside. He finds an open window in the back and climbs inside.

"Paige." He whispers. "Paige its Roman, I'm here."

She doesn't respond, so Roman goes upstairs. The sounds and glow of a TV shows which room she's in. He slowly opens the door, taking caution of any potential traps she may have laid. Since its safe, he walks over to find Paige fast asleep. Even though they reunited just a few day prior, it was still shocking how much time had actually passed. Her graying hair and baggy eyes. Roman standing there in peak physical condition. It was amazing and depressing at the same time. Roman goes in her closet, taking a nice spot laying on a few bags of clothes.

Roman opens his eyes to the sounds of groaning. Peeking from the closet, Paige is nowhere to be seen. He jumps out to the empty bedroom. The sun was up and the groans continued.

"Paige?" He yelled.

"Roman, is that you?"

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"Come to the bathroom sweetheart, please!"

Roman darts to the bathroom. Paige laid on the floor, wrapped in a towel and holding her left knee. The shower was still running.

"Oh thank god you're here. Can you carry me to my room?"

Roman scoops her up and brings her back, gently laying her on the bed. He props her leg up on a pillow

"Oohhh. Thank you. Do me a favor. Grab me a nightgown from the closet."

He grabs a purple one as Paige takes a few painkillers. He passes the gown and turns away so she can get dressed.

"Oh boy. Okay you can turn around. I slipped and fell on my bad knee."

"What happened to your knee?"

"Got into a bad car accident. I was chasing a succubus. I ran it over, but crashed into a brick wall. Shattered my entire cap."

"Wow. You were hunting?"

"I tried. I got a few kills. Mostly vampires cause those were easy. A few of them either got away or kicked my ass. Got awkward trying to explain the scars."

"Scars?"

Paige raised her arm, showing at least a dozen old cuts. She lifted her gown to show a few more on her thighs and hip. Also visible was the scar where she had knee surgery.

"Damn, that's horrible. Why didn't you ask for help?"

"Nobody believed me, and I didn't know if you were even alive. Soon after these scars popped up, Hunter started asking questions, thinking I may have been hurting myself. I had to leave WWE, go dark for a bit. Moved to North Carolina. Things started to get weird after that. I started hearing news of vicious attacks on people. Brutalized in ways no one person or group of people could handle. I made up theories in my head, but had no proof of any other mythical being. Then something happened to Regal."

Hearing her voice drop upon saying Regal's name, Roman took a seat on the bed.

"Christian told me Hunter hired a new female for an office position. Gave him the creeps. She spent a lot of time around Regal. Too much time. A month after she got hired, she vanished. That same day, I heard Regal was found in his office, eyes rolled back and pale as a ghost. He was pronounced dead right there. No one knew what happened, but I did. I came back to Connecticut to kill that bitch. Spent a year tracking her down and finally caught up to her. That was who I ran over, destroying my knee in the process. I spent the last five years investigating other potential monsters, but unable to take action. Then I heard stories of homeless people rambling about vampires in Tampa Bay. It had to be you."

"I spent all my time on the streets. Started to see familiar faces among the homeless. Some of them caught me in the act, but kept quiet caused I got rid of a lot of assholes. Figured I use these powers for good. Keeps the streets safe and my bloodlust controlled. Besides, everyone thinks I'm dead, so no way anyone is finding me. Better off keeping it that way. Even with my daughter."

Roman sighed and stared at the wall. Sunlight crept through the blinds, burning Roman a little. Although that pain didn't come close to his emotional levels. Paige carefully leaned over to hug Roman. She twitched a little, as a vampire's touch was cold as ice. It was a long time since he felt someone's warm embrace, that didn't follow with blood drinking.

"Roman." She said softly.

"What is it?"

"You smell. Like really bad."

"I know. There's not exactly showers outside."

Paige lets him go, grabbing her nose.

"Take a shower, please, you reek!"

"Alright, I get it."

"Leave your clothes in there. I got some stuff for you in the basement."

Roman hops in the shower, savoring every hot drop coming down. The small things he did every day like eating and bathing, taken for granted when one doesn't have them. All the body odor, dirty hair and stress built up over 30 years, washed away in only fifteen minutes. This was a good opportunity to shave as well. Trimming down his thick beard to a nice goatee. Roman wraps up in a towel, going straight to the basement. Down there, he sees a work bench with junk spread all over. A mess of papers and boxes all over the floor. Paige sat in a corner at a computer desk. A nice three screen setup.

"It's a freaking mess down here."

"Don't remind me. I haven't exactly had the energy to clean. Unfortunately a lot of this stuff is going to waste. After my accident, everything collected dust. Now with you here, we can turn this into a nice little base of operation. Anyway, there's a trunk by the washer with your clothes.

Roman pops the trunk, finding an all black outfit of a thermal and cargo pants. Complimented with a hooded jacket. Underneath is the Desert Eagle that Paige used so many years ago.

"Nice little throwback huh?" She asked.

"Mmmhmm. Still think about that night. Would of died if wasn't for you."

"Same goes to you. I know with being a vampire and all, life has only gotten harder. You've made the best of a bad situation."

The Deagle felt familiar once Roman held it. It's been so long since he's used a gun, but knowing how to shoot is something you don't forget.

"Question, if I'm going after monsters, are simple bullets going to do any damage?"

"Glad you asked."

Paige holds up small box. Roman takes it, looking inside to find clear bullets with yellow liquid inside.

"These are?"

"Acidic rounds. Specially made by yours truly."

"Nice. This all you got?"

"For now. Like I said before, after the accident, I wasn't motivated to keep making new gear, even though I had plenty of time to spare. Those should be good for the first person you need to track. Over here please."

Roman hangs over Paige's shoulder as she goes through computer files. She brings up some old newspaper stories and police records.

"Okay, so one of the more interesting stories I've come across is in Brooklyn, New York. Back in 2026, a string of robberies occurred in the middle class areas of the city. The police caught a couple of them breaking into a public official's place while he was on vacation."

"What's supernatural about burglaries?"

"I'm getting to that, be patient. The suspects caught were two college students. Harvey Tim and Blake Owen. Nice boys. Well liked around school, got grades, all that stuff. So police where confused as to why they did it. When caught, the boys seemed to be in a hypnotic trance. Police where seemingly unable to bring the boys back to a consciuos state, until they both just started reacting after an hour in custody. When police asked what happened, the boys claimed The Boogeyman made them do it. Police obviously laughed off the explanation."

"I remember you bringing that name up when we reunited. So is he behind this?"

"Sounds like it. Even with the boys caught, the robberies continued. More young people who claim The Boogeyman made them do it. However, they can't seem to remember where they were supposed to bring the stolen goods to. Here's where things get crazy. Upon being released, the robbery suspects all died from suicide. Harvey jumped off a building. Blake shot himself. Another kid jumped into traffic. All happening at night."

"So he brainwashes people to steal for him. They get caught, they die, cause he can easily replenish his minions."

"Exactly. I only have one lead so far. A strip club owner named The Godfather. Real name, Kama Mustafa. His uncle was arrested for kidnapping and experimenting on his hostages back in 2031. He's still in jail, but I think Kama might have taken up the mantle."

"So Kama is Boogeyman?"

"Maybe. That's what you need to go find out."

"Sounds like a plan. With that out of the way, we need to keep in touch while I'm gone."

"Um, I think I might have a extra cell phone around here."

"No cell phones. I can't have my voice over any kind of phone lines."

"True, so how do we keep in touch?"

Roman walked over to the work bench, grabbing a boxcutter. He walks back to Paige, making a small cut on his arm.

"This may sound strange, but you need to drink my blood."

"Ewww, why?"

"It'll create a mind link between me and you. So no matter how far apart we are, we can talk telepathically."

"Am I going to turn?"

"No, I have to bite you for that. Just trust me."

Roman lowered his forearm. Paige leans forward a little, licking a small amount that ran down his arm. The taste was repulsive, making her face twist in disgust.

"Come on, you need more than that."

Without a second thought, she went back, sucking on his wound. Her stomach churned and bubbled, but she continued. Roman finally pulls back, letting Paige recover. She hunched over, grabbing her gut and moaning loudly. Roman stood in silence. She rolled the chair over and vomited into a trash can. Roman rubbed her back in comfort as she caught her breath.

"That was an awful experience." She cried.

"I know. You won't have to do it again."

Paige paused, quickly turning to face Roman. She heard him speak, but the word bounced off like an echo.

"Say something else."

"Something else." He replied.

She heard the words, even though his mouth stayed closed.

"Holy shit it actually works!"

"I know. Now we can talk through our heads. But you have to be 100% percent focused on me. Any kind of stress can break the link, so try to keep cool."

"Understood. Since we're all caught up, I need to go a doctors appointment. Feel free to hang around till the sun drops."

Roman carries her back upstairs to get ready. Once she leaves, Roman lays on the couch. He took notice of the lack of pictures around. In fact, the entire place was lacking on décor. He wasn't hungry, as his real appetite was pushed back for human flesh. Life as a vampire was boring. No friends, hiding in the shadows. Its no way to live a life. This was the most exciting that's happened to him in so long. He was ready to fight, but hindered by the sun. Until then, Roman did the only thing he can with so much free time. Sleep.


End file.
